Full text of "Hints for the Political Speaker"

See other formats

Google

This is a digital copy of a book that was preserved for generations on library shelves before it was carefully scanned by Google as part of a project

to make the world's books discoverable online.

It has survived long enough for the copyright to expire and the book to enter the public domain. A public domain book is one that was never subject

to copyright or whose legal copyright term has expired. Whether a book is in the public domain may vary country to country. Public domain books

are our gateways to the past, representing a wealth of history, culture and knowledge that's often difficult to discover.

Marks, notations and other maiginalia present in the original volume will appear in this file - a reminder of this book's long journey from the

publisher to a library and finally to you.

Usage guidelines

Google is proud to partner with libraries to digitize public domain materials and make them widely accessible. Public domain books belong to the
public and we are merely their custodians. Nevertheless, this work is expensive, so in order to keep providing tliis resource, we liave taken steps to
prevent abuse by commercial parties, including placing technical restrictions on automated querying.
We also ask that you:

+ Make non-commercial use of the files We designed Google Book Search for use by individuals, and we request that you use these files for
personal, non-commercial purposes.

+ Refrain fivm automated querying Do not send automated queries of any sort to Google's system: If you are conducting research on machine
translation, optical character recognition or other areas where access to a large amount of text is helpful, please contact us. We encourage the
use of public domain materials for these purposes and may be able to help.

+ Maintain attributionTht GoogXt "watermark" you see on each file is essential for in forming people about this project and helping them find
additional materials through Google Book Search. Please do not remove it.

+ Keep it legal Whatever your use, remember that you are responsible for ensuring that what you are doing is legal. Do not assume that just
because we believe a book is in the public domain for users in the United States, that the work is also in the public domain for users in other
countries. Whether a book is still in copyright varies from country to country, and we can't offer guidance on whether any specific use of
any specific book is allowed. Please do not assume that a book's appearance in Google Book Search means it can be used in any manner
anywhere in the world. Copyright infringement liabili^ can be quite severe.

About Google Book Search

Google's mission is to organize the world's information and to make it universally accessible and useful. Google Book Search helps readers
discover the world's books while helping authors and publishers reach new audiences. You can search through the full text of this book on the web

at |http: //books .google .com/I

1!^

IV ^ > ^^

Ijii3^\"fe

\ \.

Hints for the
Political Speaker

By
Warren C. DuBois, A.M., LL.B.

LA PIDU8 PRINTING COMPANY

NIW YORK. N. Y. . . ^ ' * -

ti, y-v'L ^ - ^ ' ^

« J -<

< v.- ' , J . '

; . IE NE'A- YOKK

I PUBLIC LIBRARY

2±7mk

ASrOR, LE«#X AND
TILDEN FOUNDATIONS

• •

••• «

- • *

• ••

' • • , •

• • • • • •

• •• •_ • .

* • • • •

To
HAMILTON COLLEGE

The "H(yme of Oratory"

CONTENTS

Chapter — Page

Stick to the Issues 18

Preparing the Speech 17

Local Color 45

Something to Take Home 49

Opening and Closing 58

The Place of Stories and Humor 62

Hints on Delivery 67

The Heckler 79

Speaking Outdoors 88

Making Your Candidate Popular 87

Keeping Abreast of the Battle Lines 91

Keeping Fit 98

The Work of the Speakers' Bureau 101
Questionnaire^ page 107

PREFACE

There is no path to self-confidence and
personal poWer among men more direct
than the ability to stand on one's feet and
speak effectively. And no American insti-
tution offers greater possibilities to the
average citizen than the stump. To men
without financial means or influential
friends, it opens the door to political power
and influence. Ability in campaigning is
an asset which once acquired can never
be taken from you. If you have built
your political career on this foundation,
the storms of political vicissitudes can
never wreck it.

The ease with which a candidate can
reach the electorate through the press, the
increasing popularity of motion pictures
as a means of political advertising and the
wasteful manner in which "literature" is
disseminated in every election district of
the Union have tended to convince some

Hints for the PoUtical Speaker

that the day of the political speaker is
passing and that his influence has descend-
ed to the level of the red-fire and brass
bands.

Nothing could be farther from the truth.
True, political speaking has undergone a
great change ; it must continue to change
with times, for it is a means and not an
end. But as a means of influencing votes
in a campaign it is still the powerful med-
ium. Nothing can take the place of the
spoken word ; no argument, no matter how
convincing on paper, can compare with the
cogent influence of the personal appeal.
The practice of candidates taking the
stump grows in favor each year.

It is estimated that there are over twen-
ty-five thousand men and women on the
stump every Fall. It is the opinion of
many professional campaigners that not
one in five succeeds in changing votes.
What an astounding percentage of fail-
ures!

Hints for the Political Speaker

This book is Moiitten to point out the
principles underlying success in political
speaking and to ^vtarn the campaigner of
the many httle pitfalls into which so many
unconsciously fall with harmful results to
their cause.

The author wishes to thank the many
veterans of the political platform, too
numerous to mention here, who have so
generously aided him with their opinions
and advice on the many little questions
of political speaking that confront the be-
ginner. He has incorporated many of
their suggestions in the pages of this brief
work.

Wareen C. DuBois.

165 Broadway, New York City.

June 1, 1921.

]

STICK TO THE ISSUES

On the eve of the presidential election
of 1884, one of the most exciting cam-
paigns in American history, a group of
New York clergymen held a public meet-
ing to pledge their support to James 6.
Blaine and to offset the undercurrent of
opinion that many of their number op-
posed him for religious reasons. In the
course of the evening, the Rev. Samuel
Dickinson Burchard made an impassioned
speech which included somewhere the state-
ment, "The Democratic Party is the party
of rum, Romanism and rebellion!"

Few of those present paid any attention
to the remark and it was not mentioned in
the press reports of the following morn-
ing. Several days later a group of Demo-
crats, going over a stenographic report of
the speech, chanced upon this sentence.
Within a few hours it was on every press
wire in the nation; the next day it was

Hints for the Political Speaker ^

printed in nearly every newspaper in the
country. , Blaine and his supporters did
ever5rthing in their poi;0er to repudiate
responsibility for the utterance. But the
harm had been done.

Blaine was defeated by a narrow mar-
gin. The political wiseacres of both parties
seem unanimous in the opinion that tihie
religious prejudices which Burchard's
speech aroused brought about the election
of Cleveland.

Religion as a political issue in America
has always proved to be a two-edged
sword. But that is not the point of this
story. It was told to illustrate the truth
that it is infinitely easier to hurt the cause
of your candidate than it is to aid it.

If you have decided to enter the arena
of political campaigning in behalf of a
party or one of its candidates, be sure that
you follow the plan of battle laid down for
you by that party and its candidates. A
party's platform is the result of thousands

Hints for the Political Speaker

of opinions welded into a few. The planks
of that platf onn a» interpreted by the
standard bearer of the party is the only
battle guide. If you enlist in the ranks of
campaigners, you do so with the oath that
you will fight along the lines that have
been mapped out for you. To do other-
wise is just as disloyal as the conduct of
the soldier who, in disobedience to the or-
ders of his superior officer, leaves the ranks
of his comrades and engages the enemy at
wiU.

Stick to the issues of the campaign I

PREPARING THE SPEECH

Study the Issuer

It is surprising how few of the men who
take the stump ni^t after night during
the campaign have a clear understanding
of the real issues. Blinded by their own
prejudices or by mere party loyalty, many
campaigners essay to win over independent
voters to a cause which they themselves
do not appreciate. Such a worker is al-
ways a liability on the platform; for he
not only fails to attract wavering voters
but frequently antagonizes those who are
kindly disposed toward his party and its
candidates.

What are the issues and where are they
to be found? The answer is simple — ^in'the
platforms of the parties. These are the
only reliable starting points. Begin there.
Then read the speeches of acceptance by
the nominees. As the heads of their re-
spective parties the national, state or mun-

Hints for the Political Speaker

icipal candidates form the court of last
resort in interpreting the issues of the cam-
paign. Frequently, these men will bring
in new issues not mentioned in the plat-
forms. Such was the case in the cam-
paign of 1916 when Mr. Hughes cham-
pioned woman suffrage and denounced
the administration for passing the Adam-
son Bill. Neither of these questions was
mentioned in the platform of the Repub-
lican party. But the action of Mr. Hughes
made them issues and the rank and file of
the party followed his leadership and ar-
guments on both.

The committee of your party in charge
of the campaign publishes a handbook for
speakers. It contains the platform, the
nominee's speech of acceptance and a mass
of material for use on the stump. G^t
a copy of it as soon as it is published and
make it your political bible. You 'will
not only be sure that you are on the right
track, but you will find a wealth of am-

Hints for the Political Speaker

mimition for making your individual c^-
paign fight. Study it carefully and you
will take the stump with a confidence that
will go a long way toward insuring the
success of your personal efforts. If there
is any point in that book which is not
clear to you, take it to the head of your
speakers* bureau and obtain his interpre-
tation of it.

When you are thoroughly familiar with
your own party's platform, study that of
the other. No man ever won a close
fight without knowing the position and
arguments of his opponent.

Choosing an Issue

Some men are so constituted that when
they attend a funeral they want to be
the corpse, at a wedding they would play
the roles of bride, groom and clergyman,
and when they speak at a political gather-
ing they want to utter the last word on {
every issue in the campaign. Theodore

Hints for the Political Speaker

Roosevelt characterized them as "men who
spread themselves over such a wide field
that they show through in spots."

No man, with the possible exception of
the presidential, gubernatorial or chief
mimicipal nominee, should attempt to
speak on every issue in the campaign. In
the first place, very few men are able to
keep abreast of the times on all the ques-
tions debated daily in a campaign. Second,
no man can attain the best results who
does not center his efforts on a sector
sufficiently small to enable him to know
every inch of the ground on which he is
fighting.

Choose an issue. And in choosing it,
keep in mind the popularity of that issue
in the locality in which you will speak
and your ability to discuss that issue in-
telligently and effectively.

Most men find it simple to select a topic;
their feelings or prejudices dictate the
choice. - But when it comes to talking be-

Hints for the Political Speaker

fore an audience, they sometimes find that
they have nothing but their prejudices to
present. And that is a very dangerous
position to occupy. If you have a burning
conviction on some question or issue, that
is the best subject for your speech. But
be sure that you arm yourself with facts
as well as feelings.

Collecting Material

Great debates are usually won by the
side which has made the most exhaustive
study of the subject. Napoleon used to
say that the Almighty always seemed to
be on the side which had the heaviest ar-
tillery. Your artillery is your array of
facts and arguments.

Having chosen an issue, the next step
is to make yourself so familiar with it that
you can discuss it any hour of the day
or night from any angle. Saturate your-
self with it. Be so well armed with knowl-
edge of its details that you fear no op-
ponent.

Hints for the Political Speaker

Political speeches are usually begun
with little knowledge of when the speaker's
time will be up. Unless you are a veteran
of the stump and can speak as long as
you choose, you must be prepared to stop
when the chairman wants you to. Say
you will speak twenty minutes. If you
mount the platform with enough material
to speak for an hour, you will experience
that confidence which a large bank balance
always gives in a business adventure. A
speaker who is well informed rarely fails
to impress an audience with the feeling
that he "knows what he is talking about",
even though he uses but a small part of
his store of facts. The feeling that your
reserve is ample to the situation has a way
of projecting itself into the consciousness
of your hearers.

The campaign handbook furnishes a
great mass of speech-building material.
If you will note those portions which bear
directly on the issue you have chosen, you

Hints for the Political Speaker

will have enough material for the ordinary
occasion. You should, however, keep a
pocket note book in which to enter other
information which appears in the news-
papers, in the arguments of other speakers
and in conversation. That sudden idep
which usually comes at inopportune mo-
ments may be forgotten unless made note
of.

We hear a great deal about extempor-
aneous speaking. Strictly speaking, there
is no such thing. No speech worth the
attention of an audience was ever delivered
without some preparation. It may be
that the speaker did not know that he was
to be called upon; perhaps his subject was
selected for him when he was introduced.
If he makes an effective appeal under such
circumstances it is only because he had
given so much thought to the subject be-
fore that occasion that he is ready to pre-
sent it at any moment.

Webster's great>est speech was his reply

Hints for the Political Speaker

Mkrt

to Hayne in the United States Senate.
On that occasion, Webster had just com-
pleted an argument in the Supreme Court
and entered the Senate chamber to find
Hayne speaking on state sovereignty.
Hayne inunediately directed his arguments
to Webster, and the latter, realizing that
his position as the champion of the Union
demanded that he take up the challenge,
made reply. The result was that master-
piece of American oratory which ended
^th "Liberty and Union now and for-
ever, one and inseparable!" When an
admirer complimented the great orator on
his "extemporaneous" speech, Webster
smiled and replied, "I have been preparing
that speech all my life."

Selecting Material

The aim of all political speaking is to
win votes. That may sound trite, but like
many other fundamental truths, it is often
lost sight of in the many elements which

Hints for the Political Speaker

enter into a task as complicated as that
of framing a political speech.

All elections hinge on the vote of a
minority. At any stage in a campaign you
can figure that nearly seventy-five peir
cent of the vote has already been cast.
That is the party vote. Whether because
of family traditions, office-holding, or
other controlling influences, the average
American voter supports one party year
in and year out.

But there is a class of voters which
cannot be counted on to vote the same
ticket two years in succession. That class,
judging from the elections of the past de-
cade, is rapidly increasing. That minority
is the so-called ^'independent vote." It is
to gain this minority vote that political
campaigns are made, that thousands of
dollars are spent in hiring halls and bands
and quartettes, in printing tons of litera-
ture and lithographs. To gain the support
of this minority, candidates wear them-

Hints for the Political Speaker

selves to the bone travelling from Maine
to Oregon.

Now the task of the political speaker
is two-fold, — ^to hold in line those who
have come to a decision and to win over
converts from the other side and from
the independent class.

Many political speakers hearing ap-
plause night after night get the impression
that they are talking to the entire elect-
orate and that their cause has been won.
The sum total of those who hear campaign
speakers form but a small part of the
electorate. And the average audience at
any political meeting is composed largely
of men and women who have already de-
cided which way they will vote — ^in favor
of the side you are representing. These
adherents are usually noisy and are ready
to express approval of almost anything
you say for your cause. But do not for-
get that the small minority which sits there

Hints for the Political Speaker

quietly, weighing the arguments of both
parties, holds in its hand the victory.

Always keep in mind that minority. To
win it over is your task. This does not
mean that you must talk to it alone. To
keep your supporters enthusiastic is half
of your work. And the more enthusiasm
you can arouse among the members of
your own party, the more likely it is that
the neutral or independent element, in-
fluenced by that enthusiasm, will follow
your cause. Nothing is so contagious as
enthusiasm. But to arouse it among your
supporters alone is not enough. You must
frame your talk so as to convince those
who are wavering, those who "must be
shown."

Do not hesitate to use the same material
that others do. It is safe to assume that
not five per cent of your audience has
heard the other speaker. And if they
have, it will do no harm to repeat a good
argument. Nor is it necessary that you

Hints for the Political Speaker

should change your speech every night.
If you were to follow a presidential nom-
inee about the country you would find tiiat
he gives practically the same speech day
after day, with only such modifications
as local conditions demand, despite the
probability that a large portion of each
audience has read the substance of his
remarks long before he appears before
them.

Before leaving the subject of selecting
material, a few words should be said about
attacking your opponents. You have
probably heard the story of the policeman
who broke into a house to rescue an Irish
woman from the attacks of her drunken
husband. He raised his club to strike the
man, but before he could deliver the blow,
he himself was floored by the wife.

The writer could never understand why
the story was told of the Irish, because the
point is in harmony with human nature
the world over. If you want to ascertain

Hints for the Political Speaker

the degree of attachment between two es-
tranged friends, the very best method is
to attack one in the hearing of the other.
In your audience there are many wavering
voters ; some, perhaps, have been affiliated
with the opposing party for many years.
If you are too strong in your condemna-
tion of his old party, you simply fan the
slumbering flame of his former love and
throw him back into her arms.

It ought not to be necessary to warn
the speaker of today against mud-slinging.
And yet, many popular speakers, tempted
by the applause which such tactics usually
draw from certain elements in the aud-
ience, continue to vilify opponents, un-
mindful of the fact that they are doing
more harm than good. The average
American demands fair play, and many a
vote has been thrown to the opposition
because of the sympathy aroused by per-
sonal attacks. And conversely, many a
vote has been gained by respectful refer-

Hints for the Political Speaker

enoe to those on the other side. If you
cannot speak of an opponent without
abusing him, don't mention him at aU.

Framing the Speech

A good political speech is one which
leaves a strong single impression. The
eif ective speaker limits himself to one sub-
ject and covers that subject so well that
nothing is desired when he closes. He
hammers away at that one nail until it
is driven beyond removal. He may change
his position before every blow, but his
aim is always the same, and when he con-
nects with the nail, it sinks still further.

Follow this hammer and nail theory in
yoiu* speaking. The psychology of this
plan has been tested by the general scheme
of modern advertising. Instead of spread-
ing themselves over numerous arguments
in favor of using their product, the manu-
facturers of a certain flour are content
with but one slogan, — "Eventually, why

Hints for the Political Speaker

not now?" That statement repeated
countless times becomes so imbedded in
the minds of the buying public that they
believe it and, without stopping to com-
pare it with other brands, buy it.

The aim of the military has always been
the focus of all of the army's strength at
that point along the battle lines where
the enemy is weakest. By hurling all its
strength at that point, the conmiander
forces the enemy to abandon his attacks
along other points of the line and to fight
out the issue at the point of the com-
mander's selection. So with a political
campaign. Sharpen your talk down to a
pointed appeal and then marshal all your
strength behind it. The political history
of America is full of instances where suc-
cess has been due to a single idea repeated
so often that it became a slogan of victory.
In his fight to destroy the United States
Bank, President Jackson met with tre-
mendous opposition. He maintained the

Hints for the PoUtical Speaker

bank was not sound; the figures compiled
by his opponents showed otherwise. But
Jackson hammered away with "The bank
is broke and Biddle knows it" until the
opposition weakened, wavered and finally
crumbled. When touring the State of
California in his first campaign for the
governorship, Hiram W. Johnson closed
every speech with this sentence, —

"Remember this, my friends: I am
going to be the next Governor of Cali-
fornia; and when I am, I am going to
kick out of this government William F.
Herrin and the Southern Pacific Railroad
— Goodnight/'

The effect of this prophecy repeated
each night was well explained some years
previous by the Irish orator, Daniel
O'Connell:

"It is not by advancing a political truth
once, or twice, or even ten times, that the
public will take it up and finally accept
it. Incessant repetition is required to im-

Hints for the Political Speaker

press political truths upon the public mind.
Men, by always hearing the same things,
insensibly associate them witih received
truisms. They find the facts at last quiet-
ly reposing in a ' corner of their minds,
and no more think of doubting them if
they formed part of their religious beliefs."

The same truth has been expressed more
briefly by the famous Mr. Dooley, — "I
belave annything at all, if ye only tell it
to me often enough."

Closely allied to the power of repetition
is the power of suggestion. Suppose Hir-
am W. Johnson had asserted his prophecy
but once. We can almost hear the laughs
that greeted its first presentation. Many
a skeptic said to himself "I'll bet you
won't be the next governor of Cahfornia."
But by repeating the prediction night after
night, the idea gained a stronger hold and
the doubt weakened. The power of sug-
gestion lies not in direct assertion (which
brings up doubts) but in indirect assertion

Hints for the Political Speaker

which gains the same result because by
failing to make a direct blunt statement,
the audience has no positive assertion with
which to take issue. Perhaps the most
masterful use of the power of suggestion
occurred in the campaign of 1896. Mr.
Bryan set out to create a widespread be-
lief in McKinley's defeat. Had he merely
asserted night after night "McKinley will
be defeated'*, he would have undoubtedly
been less successful in convincing that part
of the electorate which voted foir him.
But instead of that blunt assertion, he em-
ployed suggestion. If you can forget the
result of that election and project your
imagination back to the year 1896, you
can appreciate how effective were his
words, —

"Mr. McKinley was the most popular
man among the Republicans, and three
months ago everybody in the Republican
party prophesied his election. How is it
today? Why the man who was once pleased

Hints for the Political Speaker

to think that he looked like Napoleon —
that man shudders today when he remem-
bers that he was nominated on the anni-
versary of the battle of Waterloo. Not
only that, but as he listens he can hear
with ever increMing distinctness the
sound of the waves as they beat upon the
lonely shore of St, Helena."

Making Yourself Understood

A great many speakers who know their
subjects thoroughly fail to impress an au-
dience because they do not express them-
selves in a simple manner. A man may
work for days on a speech, polishing off
every rough corner, selecting with pains-
taking care every word in it, and find when
he delivers it that it arouses no more en-
thusiasm than the recital of a table in
arithmetic. The trouble probably lies in
the failure to take into consideration the
understanding of the audience.

A speech must be so worded as to be

Hints for the Political Speaker

understood by every one in the audience,
word for word, sentence for sentence, as
it is uttered. The hearer cannot, as he
may in reading, go over and over a pas-
sage until he grasps the meaning. He
must be able to understand every idea you
express as he hears it, otherwise he becomes
disinterested and relaxes his attention.

During the late war an interesting ex-
periment was tried by Captain Joseph S.
BuhJer, U. S. A. He was placed in charge
of that branch of the Four Minute Men's
organization which sought to spur the war
spirit of Americans and to offset German
propaganda by importing wounded Al-
lied soldiers to tell their experiences at
the front to American audiences.

These heroes had been picked from the
maimed survivors of many thrilling adven-
tures, with no regard for their ability as
speakers. From this standpoint they were
well chosen; each had a tale that would
send the shivers down the spine of the

Hints for the Political Speaker

most savage warrior. In private conver-
sation they could hold the attention of
all. But when put upon the platform they
often failed. Why? Because they failed
to put forth their stories in a simple,
straightforward, informal manner.

Part of the work of the Four Minute
Men was to address children in the public
schook. Captain Buhler took those who
had failed to make good in the theatres
and put them in the schoolhouses. Now
the hardest individual to hold is the child.
You must talk to him in his language or
he will close his ears. You know this;
everyone knows it. These veterans knew
it and they immediately changed their
manner to meet the situation. Speaking
in a direct, simple fashion, they told their
experiences in battle just as plainly as
they would have done at home with their
own youngsters on their knees. They
never tried to imitate orators or lecturers ;
they merely told what they had seen and

Hints for the Political Speaker

felt; and stopped. Needless to say, they
made a great hit with the young folks.

After a week or two of speaking in the
schools, these men were put back into the
theatres with instructions to direct their
remarks to the children in the audience.
Having fallen into the style of speaking
to young minds, they found it easy to con-
tinue in the same manner. And their suc-
cess with audiences of grown-ups was even
greater than it was with the children.

All of us are more or less children when
collected into an assemblage. Our minds
relax; we shun any task that requires
sustained concentration. We want
thoughts and ideas put so simply that we
can grasp them with a minimum of men-
tal effort.

Lincoln's success on the stump was
mainly due to the simplicity with which
he expressed himself. His language was
so chosen as to leave nothing dark or
cloudy; the most illiterate member of his

Hints for the Political Speaker

audience understood him. We are told
by his biographers that he used to prac-
tice his speeches in the barn before the
chickens, in the hope that it would force
him to reduce his arguments to such simple
terms that even dumb animals would un-
derstand him. It was this simplicity of
expression that enabled him to reach the
minds of every man, woman and child of
America during the great war of the re-
bellion. What, for instance, could be more
appealing to the average citizen than the
foUowing:

^'Gentlemen, I want you to suppose a
case for a moment. Suppose that all the
property you were worth was in gold, and
you had put it in the hands of Blondin,
the famous rope-walker, to carry across
the Niagara Falls on a tight rope. Would
you shake the rope while he was passing
over it, or keep shouting to him, "Blondin,
stoop a little more ! Go a little faster I"
No, I am sure you would not. You would

Hints for the Political Speaker

hold your breath as well as your tongue,
and keep your hand off until he was safely
over. Now, the Government is in the same
i^tuation. It is carrying an immense
weight across the stormy ocean. Untold
treasures are in its hands. It is doing the
best it can. Don't badger it! Just keep
still and it will get you safely over."

Every speaker ought to practice his
speeches aloud before a friend or even
alone. He will find that his own ears
are sometimes good critics. They will at
least tell him whether his thoughts are as
forceful in sound as they are on paper.

Whatever your audience, speak to it in
its language ; if you are talking to sailors,
don't speak to them as you would to ar-
chitects; don't address carpenters as you
would lawyers.

HandUng Figures

Most political speakers dodge the use
of figures in a speech on the theory that

Hints for the Political Speaker

no one ever got enthusiastic about aritli-
metie and certainly no political gathering
ever will. But the electorate of todav
wants facts and figures as well as fire-
works. Economy has been an issue in
nearly every municipal and state election
in the past decade. It is an ever-present
problem in our national government. If,
then, you must use figures, it is well to
know how to present them in the most
interesting and effective manner. The
secret lies in presenting amounts and quan-
tities in a form which can be visualized or
appreciated by comparisons. By merely
stating figures, the speaker neither inter-
ests nor does he make an impression which
will last. But by a small degree of skill
in using comparisons, he can make an
amount appear stupendous or trifling. Let
us consider a practical application of this
method. During the war, a speaker was
seeking to impress an audience with the
tremendous cost of a day's supply of am-

Hints for the Political Speaker

munition. He said that it cost the United
States something like a million dollars a
day for munitions alone. Now few of
us have ever seen a million dollars or have
a ready appreciation of what that amount
means. So the speaker continued as fol-
lows:

"Think of it, ladies and gentlemen, one
million dollars a day. If that sum were
put into dollar hills and these hills placed
end to end, it would reach from New York
City to Albany. If stacked in quarter-
dollars, it would make ten piles of the
height of the Woolworth Building. It
represents ijiore than the daily earnings
of an army of mechanics who, placed
shoulder to shoulder, would reach from
New York City to Philadelphia. It would
buy enough food to keep alive one thous-
and families of five each. It would pay
all the yearly expenses of a group of col-
lege students, which in single file would
reach from one end of the Brooklyn

Hints for the Political Speaker

Bridge to the other. This, gentlemen, is
the cost of war/*

Another speaker, attempting to offset
the effect of these remarks replied as
follows:

"A million dollars a day! That's a
large smn, gentlemen and ladies, and I'm
glad the government is not making me
foot the whole bill. But is it as large as the
pluvious speaker would have us believe?
Remember there are one hundred million
people in the United States and that means
but one cent a piece. Is that large? We
spend nearly that amount daily for gum.
Let every man, woman and child stop
chewing and the amount saved would be
the same. Let every housekeeper peel
the daily potatoes a little more carefully,
and the amount would be saved. Let every
individual be careful of throwing away
lighted matches, and the amoimt saved in
prevented fires would more than double
the sum. Let every worker add five min-

48.

Hints for the Political Speaker

utes to his daily toil and the value of in-
creased production would more than make
up for the cost. The sum is not large, and
when we consider the wealth of America,
it is not worth worrying about/'

LOCAL COLOR

An audience will usually exhibit as much
interest in a speaker as the speaker does
in it. A county official stumped the Bor-
ough of Brooklyn, New York City, as a
candidate for re-election. He was a very
poor speaker and knew very little about
the politics of the county. After a week
or two of unsuccessful campaigning, this
candidate appealed to his secretary (a well-
known figure in local politics) for assis-
tance. After that appeal the secretary ac-
companied his chief wherever he went to
speak. Before each speech, the official
held a short conversation with his assistant,
and this is how he opened his talk, —
"Ladies and G^entlemen; I am glad to be
in the . . . assembly district and to speak to

the friends and neighbors of

(mentioning the most prominent man in
the locality) ." This introductory sentence
never failed to gain applause and the

Hints for the PoUtictd Speaker

audience would settle down to hear him
with that kindly feeling that always greets
a man who has something in common with
it.

Many seasoned campaigners make it a
point to learn all they can about a locality
before addressing it. It was said of
Roosevelt that he often impressed an au-
dience as knowing more about their local
affairs than most of the neighboring poli-
ticians. Few of us are possessed of a mem-
ory or a capacity for details to compare
with Roosevelt's. But all of us can at
least acquaint ourselves with enough mat-
ters of local interest to convince an au-
dience that we are interested in them. It
never fails to pay.

The locality in which you speak might
affect your speech in any one or more of
four ways. First, you should advance
those arguments or points which have a
special reference to the people to whom
you talk. If you are attacking a national

Hints for the PoUtical Speaker

administration for extravagance, don't tell
the people of California about the cost
of building a public building in New Jer-
sey if you can show the extravagance of
improving the harbor of San Francisco.
Second, you might mention local person-
alities either by way of aiding their candi-
dacies or by attacking them as the oppon-
ents of your party. The latter, however,
should be approached with great care and
only after obtaining the approval of local
leaders. Third, you can arouse the in-
terest of a locality by speaking of their
need, «.d «„1ntio:^. NeTriyeA^cHon
of the country has some pet aspiration
which is closely interwoven with its polit-
ical thinking. Fourth, if you use illus-
trations to strengthen or ornament your
arguments, use local objects. Were you
addressing the voters of Duluth, Minneso-
ta, on the subject of "Disarmament and
War", you would make little impression
by telling them that the last war meant

Hints for the Political Speaker

a death Kst of seventy thousiand Ameri-
cans. But if you said that the number
killed in the Great War from the American
ranks alone was more than sufficient to re-
populate the City of Duluth, your point
would not only mean something, but it
would add interest to your argument.

These are only suggestions, but they
point to a positive method of increasing
your chances for success. A little exper-
ience in applying them will bring to
mind other ways by which you can com-
mand the attention and good will of your
audiences.

SOMETHING TO TAKE HOME

The woman who first conceived the idea
of giving her dinner guests favors was
a shrewd hostess. She realized that an
evening of enjoyment is soon forgotten
unless linked with something which will
recall the ev^nt to mind.

The Democratic convention of 1896
was swept off its feet by Bryan's "Cross
of Gold" speech. It is doubtful whether
there is another instance in American his-
tory which furnishes such a dramatic il-
lustration of the power of oratory in poli-
tics. One of the delegates who attended
that convention and who was carried into
the clouds by that burst of oratory was
unable, when he reached his hotel after
the session, to give a single argument or
point which the gifted Commoner had
presented. All he recalled was the scene
and the overpowering emotions which that
masterpiece stirred up.

Hints for the Political Speaker

The political speaker must remember
that only a small part of the electorate
in any district will hear him. And of that
part, a large majority is composed of men
and women who are already won over to
his cause. In order to get the greatest
results, he must not only impress the in-
dependent minority but he should also give
them as well as his adherents some thought
or argument to take home, — some slogan
or story which they will recall long after
the general impression has faded from
memory, something which can be repeated
to friends and neighbors with telling ef-
fect.

In the Fall of 1919, there were two
county judgeships to be filled from four
candidates in the County of Kings, New
York. One of these candidates was Judge
Norman S. Dike who was running for re-
election in what appeared to be a very
close fight. The many friends of the judge
sent out scores of speakers into every elec-

Hints for the Political Speaker

tion district in the county. At one meet-
ing, at which the audience numbered
two hundred, four men spoke for
him. Three of them spent their al-
lotted time in general praise, mentioning
his fine record, his eminent fitness for the
office and his excellent reputation as a
man. The fourth man used but four
minutes. His speech included this story, —
"Last year a committee of citizens of
this Borough called upon the Police Com-
missioner of this City to protest against
the small number of policemen assigned
to duty here. They proved to him that in
proportion to its population Brooklyn had
less officers of the law to guard its people
and property than any other borough in
the City. The Commissioner listened very
courteously and replied with a smile, *It
is true that Brooklyn has less policemen
than the other smaller boroughs, but that
is because you need less. Why, you have
a county judge who is known to every

Hints for the Political Speaker

criminal in the east. They always dodge
Brooklyn for that reason. No, as long
as Judge Dike sits on the bench, you don't
need any more cops.' "

That audience forgot all the fine things
that were said about Judge Dike but that
short story. But they remembered that
and what is more they repeated it count-
less times to their friends and neighbors
during the remaining days of the cam-
paign. In the opinion of the author, that
story repeated before many audiences had
more effect in re-electing Judge Dike than
all the other efforts of his speaking friends
combined.

OPENING AND CLOSING

Victor Murdock once said, apropos of
making a good speech, ''Get a good be-
ginning and a good ending ; stuff it with
whatever you please. ' ' This statement was
not intended to be taken literally; you
cannot stuff the middle of any speech with
mediocre material and make it impressive.
But the remark does give point to the
great truth that the most important parts
of any talk are the beginning and the end-
ing.

To the political speaker the problem of
opening an address presents two points
of consideration. First, he must secure
attention ; second, he must not antagonize
any portion of his audience.

Securing attention is an ever present
consideration in the mind of a speaker.
He probably gives more thought to the
subject matter of his first sentences than
he does to any other part of the address.

Hints for the Political Speaker

Unless he succeeds in focusing the atten-
tion of his hearers upon himself from the
start, he wages an uphill fight. Every
man has his own individual ideas about
the method to be employed, but he may
well be aided by a few suggestions.

Nothing is more effective in beginning
than a good story in point. I said "in
point" because it is always possible to tell
a story provided you are not limited to
relevant ones. But if your story is merely
told to gain attention and has no connec-
tion with what follows, your audience will
turn away from you just as quickly as
it deserts the street faker who gathers a
crowd by some aUuring device and then
presents some cheap notion in which no
one is interested. The story need not be
political ; in fact, it is better to take it from
some other field of himian interest. The
latter course has the advantage of intro-
ducing a refreshing subject.

A good quotation taken from the

Hints for the Political Speaker

speeches or writings of some well-known
man or woman is an excellent opener. Peo-
ple are always interested in the words of
a great personage. And in quoting the
words of a great man you command some
of the respect that your hearers hold for
that man. Very few of the opponents
of the League of Nations failed to quote
Washington's advice regarding entangling
alliances. Here igain, your quotation
must have a close connection with what
follows, otherwise you will lose more than
you gain by its use.

Above all, your opening remarks should
be interesting. A startling statement
rarely fails to secure attention. The pre-
ceding speaker has probably left the au-
dience in a satisfied, complacent mood.
Unless you present something unusual it
is difficult to transfer their thoughts from
him to you.

Humor is always refreshing, particular-
ly when the previous speaker has aroused

Hints for the Political Speaker

them to a pitch of excitement on some in-
tensely serious issue.

Long introductions should always be
avoided. Modem life is too rapid and
strenuous to tolerate the man who cannot
begin a speech without tracing the history
of the world from the fall of Adam. With
this in mind, many experienced speakers
save time by stating at the beginning what
they intend to talk about and, in many
instances, outline the main points of the
address.

You can never know what will be the
temper or mood of your hearers when you
begin. For this reason it is an excellent
plan to prepare yourself with three or four
kinds of openings, so that you will be
ready for any emergency. If, then, you
find yourself talking to an audience which
has not been aroused by many pyrotech-
nical speeches, you can select the opening
which best fits your speech as a whole. And
if you follow an inspired orator who has

Hints for the Political Speaker

stirred them to the depths, a most trying
position for a beginning speaker, you will
not be embarrassed by the necessity of
digressing from your original plan in order
to meet the psychology of the moment.
When in such a position, do not show your
fears of losing the crowd. It is Hkely
that you will be discouraged by the stream
of men and women leaving the hall. Do
not hasten your opening. It will gain you
nothing. Haste at such a time usually
adds to the confusion and strengthens the
decision to go.

The second consideration in framing
the beginning of your speech is equally
important. Remember that your purpose
is not merely to furnish opportunities for
enthusiastic outbursts from your support-
ers. You must also convert the so-called
independent who forms a larger part of
the audience than his silence would indi-
cate. He probably hears both sides. If
your opening remarks are too partisan

Hints f&r the PoUticul Speaker

from his viewpoint, he will close his ears
to the rest of your speech.

Every issue presents common ground.
After all, every voter has or thinks he has
the same interest at heart — ^the welfare of
his country. It is a simple matter to begin
a speech in a manner which will appeal
to the fairness of all. From such a be-
ginning you can gradually turn to your
side of the issue in a way that will carry
the independent as well as the partisan
with you.

Few speakers of experience fail to take
advantage of the possibilities of opening
on neutral ground. Sometimes, however,
a hostile audience is best met by an initial
'*blow between the eyes." A classical ex-
ample of such an opening may well be
given here.

In the national campaign of 1900,
Theodore Roosevelt, then a candidate for
Vice-President, was sent into Nebraska,
the home of Bryan and Free Silver. The

Hints for the Political Speaker

press of that State commented at length
on the folly of his speaking there and the
first audience he addressed assembled more
from a spirit of curiosity than because of
any friendliness. How could he speak
without mentioning the monetary issue,
and how could he mention that issue vtdth-
out arousmg the antagonism of all pres-
ent? A death-Uke silence greeted his ar-
rival. He broke the tension with these
words, biting oflF each syllable with char-
acteristic precision, —

"Ladies and Gentlemen: — The Repub-
lican Party stands for the Gold Standard ;
and it stands for the Gold Standard in the
State of Nebraska just as it stands for the
Gold Standard in the State of New
York.''

A handful applauded, many burst into
tears; all remained until he had finished
his speech. At no time did he receive ap-
preciable applause, but a member of that
audience subsequently stated that the res-

Hints for the Political Speaker

spectf ul silence with which they heard him
was nothing short of a reverential tribute
such as is rarely paid to living heroes.

Of all the impressions made by a speaker
the very last is most likely the one which
remains uppermost in recollection. If it
is weak, it may destroy all the good effect
previously gained; if it is strong, it will
probably draw to its level all the mediocrity
of what has been said in the body of the
speech.

The ideal ending is one which summar-
izes everything which has been said and
couples with that summary a compelling
appeal to vote for the ticket or the candi-
date for whom you are speaking. This
appeal may take the form of a flowery
picture of what the victory of your cause
will bring or it may be clothed in a good
story or quotation. Unless the whole tone
of your speech is humorous, never end in
anything but a serious fashion.

Most political speakers must time their

Hints for the Political Speaker

efforts to the particular occasion on which
^hey appear. It is the frequent exper-
ience of junior campaigners to be inter-
rupted by the applause which greets the
entrance of a well-known figure. Then
he must stop or try the patience of his au-
dience by continuing. Better that he
wind up his speech as soon as he can
without making the ending too sharp or
abrupt. This ever-present danger can
only be met by a most thorough prepara-
tion for it. After you have gained your
stride, never turn into a long stretch which
will require considerable time to cover. So
plan your speech that you can end it with
a flourish on a minute's notice.

Webster spent many hours on the pre-
paration of his speeches. His command
of language was so masterful that he rare-
ly paid any attention to the exact words
to be employed in expressing any particu-
lar part of it. But he always worked out
and memorized a strong closing para-
graph.

THE PLACE OF STORIES
AND HUMOR

In one respect we never cease to be
children. Rarely does a man or woman
reach that age or condition where he or
she loses the appetite for a good story.
Americans as a class are particularly fond
of this form of mental activity ; for it they
are known the world over.

The psychological effect of bringing to-
gether a nmnber of people into a body
which focuses its attention on one of its
number is to carry each back to that per-
iod of life when simple things held and
amused. When in the theatre we laugh
at many things which would be unheeded
if we were alone ; we are interested in little
acts which only a child would watch unac-
companied.

Story-telling has always been a popular
seasoning with the public speaker. It
serves many purposes. First, it brings

Hints for the Political Speaker

together every ray of attention. Second,
it rests an audience by enabling it to fol-
low the speaker with a minimum of mental
effort. Third, it enables the speaker to
clarify or strengthen an idea in a very ef-
fective manner.

It can, however, be overdone — ^and fre-
quently is. But most political speakers
use it very little — ^to their own loss. Noth-
ing will brighten a speech, particularly
a long one, so well as two or three well
told stories in point. If they are suitable
to the occasion and you are able to tell
them, by all means do so. But if your
stories have no connection or a weak one,
do not waste time trying to link them up
with the subject matter of your talk. Noth-
ing harms a speaker's reputation like a
story dragged in by the ears.

Stories may or may not be humorous.
The humorous story has the added advan-
tage of refreshing the audience. The
world likes to laugh and that part of it

Hints for the Political Speaker

which you are addressing is ever ready for
a good joke.

A Republican, addressing an audience
in Vermont, attacked the Democratic ad-
ministration for its "Buy a bale of cotton"
movement. The frequent interruptions
by way of heckling indicated that his
hearers did not agree with him. The re-
sentment became so audible that the
speaker was forced to change his plans.
His next remark was to the effect that the
next Democratic slogan would be "Eat
a bale of cotton." Everyone joined in
the hearty laugh. The speaker continued
his humorous attack without any further
interruptions.

This incident well illustrates the temper
of an American audience. If you attack
a movement or a man whom they like,
they might hoot you from the platform.
But you can go a great way with ridicule
and burlesque and they will enjoy it, even
though your humor is aimed at their idol.

Hints for the Political Speaker

If you are opposing a candidate whose
popularity is too strong for an attack,
your best wfeapon is humor, A clever
use of this method was made by Mr.
Hughes in the campaign of 1916. The
unofGcial role of Col. House in the ad-
ministration had been the subject of much
comment. Of course, there was nothing
in his relations with the President which
would warrant any serious attack on either.
In reply to an attack on himself, Mr.
Hughes added, "But I jsay with entire
good humor that I believe in government
by two houses and not by three." q.

Americans take their politics rather ser- '
iously and it is this seriousness which calls
for relief through humor. The parties
are always looking for men Uke Senator
Depew and Job E. Hedges to aid in a
speaking campaign. Their usefulness was
unconsciously appraised by Mr. Hedges
himself. Running for governor of New
York in 1912, he opened an address in

Hints for the Political Speaker

these words, "They say that the Republi-
cans have nominated a joker for governor
(referring to himself). Well, the joker
is the best card in the pack."

HINTS ON DELIVERY

Confidence and Earnestness

Write on your doors the saying wise
and old,

'^Be bold! be boldr and everywhere —
''Be bold;

Be not too boldr Yet better the excess

Than the defect; better the more than
less;

Better like Hector in the field to die.

Than like a perfumed Paris turn and

fly-

— ^Longfellow.

We hear a great deal about men who
sucoeed on "nerve" alone, men who are
always "getting away with something".
There may be men who bluff their way
into success; there may be such a thing

Hints for the Political Speaker

as luck that lifts one man above the heads
of others who are abler than he is. But
one thing is certain, — ^those who complain
about "bluff" and "nerve" are usually the
unsuccessful, and their opinions are to be
regarded accordingly.

Wherever we put the dividing line be-
tween bluff and courage, there is no de-
nying the fact that few men have suc-
ceeded without a deep-seated belief in
themselves. No speaker ever convinced
others unless he exhibited an abiding con-
fidence in himself and his judgment. Noth-
ing in a campaign is so effective as an
attitude of trust in the success of the party
and its candidates. "Fortune", said Soph-
ocles, "never helps the man whose courage
fails" ; it does even less for the party whose
confidence lags or weakens.

Always assume that your side will be
successful. It not only wins over the man
who wants to "get on the band-wagon",
it also eats away the courage of your op-

Hints for the Political Speaker

ponents. The whole world may love a
lover, but it, at least that part of it living
in the United States, idolizes a fighter of
courage. But self-confidence is as far
from boastf ulness as chivalry is from sav-
agery. Extravagant prophecy or exces-
sive self-confidence often links the speaker
with the dreamer whose beliefs are the
children of his fancy. The confidence that
carries conviction never runs wild. It
sometimes uses suggestion. Mr. Bryan
repeated his assertion about McKinley and
Waterloo every night of the campaign,
and it undoubtedly had its effect. Senator
Hiram W. Johnson's prophecy was shorn
of boastfulness by the addition of his in-
tention to "kick out" William F. Herrin
and the Southern Pacific Railroad.

Successful campaigners never spare
their earnestness and enthusiasm, even
when speaking of a minor issue. No cam-
paign and no issue in any campaign was
ever treated lightly by Roosevelt. If a

Hints for the Political Speaker

fight was worth his participation, it was
worth ^very ounce of earnestness he pos-
sessed, and he spent it lavishly. When,
in the summer of 1910, while swinging
^'around the circle" in an effort to strength-
en the support of the progressives in Con-
gress, he addressed an audience in Utica,
New York, his attention was called to the
fight being made against the renomination
of Senator Frederick M, Davenport, In
the middle of his speech on "New Nation-
alism", he launched into a paragraph of
praise for Senator Davenport and his
stand on direct primaries and other state
issues. So eaamest was ihis appeal for
Davenport that when the speech was com-
pleted and the Colonel was leaving, the
crowd called for Davenport. He was re-
nominated.

Whatever your subject, be it disarma-
ment or the election of your candidate for
town clerk, deliver it with all the earnest-
ness and enthusiasm that your soul can
muster.

Hints for the Political Speaker

Speaking to the Eye

The eye is a hungry animal — a great
deal more so than the ear. That is why
a janitor closing a window can take the
attention of an audience from a great or-
ator. A cat or dog straying across a stage
spells disaster for any theatrical perfor-
mance. This fact gives rise to many sug-
gestions for holding the eye as well as the
ear of your hearers.

Have you ever heard a good speech
read? Probably not. The reason why it
rarely succeeds is that the audience is
just as much interested in the personality
and appearance of the speaker as it is in
what he says ; and what he says is always
interpreted by the manner and motions
which accompany it. It is safe to assume
that no stump speaker will attempt to read
a speech. But he often does other things
which have a similar effect. Carrying a
manuscript or a sheet of notes in the hand

Hints for the Political Speaker

or permitting them to protrude conspicu-
ously from a pocket tends to distract at-
tention from what is said. An article of
clothing which stands out from the rest
of the attire weakens the focus that you
would have the audience give to your ges-
tures and facial expression. If possible,
speak from a platform free from other
speakers and attractive objects. The
slightest motion on the part of an individ-
ual seated near you may break the con-
centration of the audience.

The movies and other spectacular at-
tractions have accustomed us to such a
high degree of visual satisfaction that the
modern speaker must feed the eye as well
as the ear. Gestures, facial expression,
posture and carriage on a platform are
merely elements of that silent appeal. All
are parts of the speaking body which must
be kept awake and alive. The speaker who
allows his muscular body to sleep while he
talks has little more chance of holding his

Hints for the Political Speaker

audience than a drama produced on a
darkened stage.

Speaking to All Parts of the House

As previously stated, an audience is as
much interested in the man as it is in the
speech. If you doubt it, obstruct the
vision of some persons in the auditorium or
hall and see how quickly they will com-
plain. They not only want to see the
speaker, but they want him to look at and
speak directly to them. It is, of course,
a physical impossibility to speak to all
parts of the audience at the same time.
But it is a simple and proper practice to
direct some part of your talk to a specific
part of the meeting place, — the boxes, the
balcony, the gallery and even to those who
are seated on the platform behind you,
if such is the arrangement. The latter
part of the audience always received a few
sentences from Theodore Roosevelt. The
effect was so favorable that it is surprising

Hints for the Political Speaker

that more political speakers do not imitate
the practice.

What to Memorize

Many beginning speakers memorize
their speeches word for word, a practice
which persisted in will greatly limit the
possibilities of their development. There
are three good reasons why a speech should
not be memorized. First, only a skillful
actor can do it and conceal it. When an
audience detects it, its respect for the
speaker is diminished. There is a sub-
conscious feeling that you are not speak-
ing from your heart; perhaps someone
wrote it for you and you are merely the
phonograph. Second, if you have mem-
orized a speech, you must spend a certain
amount of energy — ^usually considerable —
in recalling while speaking the exact words
you intended. This energy should be free
to expend on the delivery. Relying on
your memory, you are ever conscious of

Hints for the Political Speaker

the danger of forgetting; and if you do,
your confidence will suffer regardless of
whether you are able to extemporize until
you pick up the thread of your chosen
words. In the third place, the practice
will prevent the development of that abili-
ty, so highly to be prized, of thinking while
on your feet. The ability to put present
thoughts into appropriate language can
only be gained by repeated practice in
doing that very thing. And the longer
you persist in memorizing speeches, the
harder it becomes to start anew on the
proper course.

"But", says the novice, "unless I mem-
orize my speech, how can I go upon the
platform with any degree of confidence
in my chances of remembering what I want
to say?" There is some point in that ques-
tion. Without memorizing, you must be
content at the start to bear the handicaps
of poorly chosen words, hesitant groping
for language and frequent pauses. But

Hints for the Political Speaker

these obstacles are only temporary ; every
additional attempt will find you more con-
fident and fluent.

Most speakers of experience memorize
the outline of their speeches. A well
prepared talk can usually be summarized
by four or five sentences. Each sentence
has a key word. Memorize these words in
their proper sequence and you have the
outline in hand regardless of whether you
have difficulty in expressing each idea in
appropriate phrases. Take, for instance,
a speech which was delivered against our
entrance into the League of Nations when
that issue was before the United States
Senate. The four main arguments which
the speaker used could have been summar-
ized in the following sentences, —

1. The League entangles us in foreign
affairs, a situation which Washing-
ton and all our foremost statesmen
warned against.

Hints for the Political Speaker

2. The League does not give America
suflScient representation in its coun-
cils.

8, The League makes us responsible
for peoples in whom we have little
interest and over whom we would
not care to exercise control.

4. In order to carry out our obligations
as a member of the League, we would
be compelled to maintain a large
standing army.

Now the first sentence may be reduced
to the word "Washington". His name in
connection with the subject arouses our
recollection of his warning against foreign
alliances. The second sentence can be
summarized in the word "votes". The
Fiume incident suggests the thought of the
third sentence, so we take the word "Fi-
ume". "Army" is sufficient for the fourth.
Putting the four words together we have
"Washington votes Fimne army". It

Hints for the Political Speaker

does not make much sense — ^it need not.
But it is easily remembered, and remem-
bered, it links the whole speech together
so that the speaker can go from one part
to another without fear of losing the se-
quence.

This is but one of many methods of
holding the outline of a speech in mind.
Mark Twain, who found public speaking
very difficult until he solved the problem
of speaking without notes, used to asso-
ciate each subdivision of his lecture with
some object in the room. Your imagina-
tion will suggest many other methods. Any
scheme which works is good, but above aU,
do not carry notes.

THE HECKLER

The late Inez MilhoUand Boissevain was
once interrupted by a man with this ques-
tion, "Mrs. Boissevain, don't you wish you
were a man?" "I do", she replied, "and
don't you wish you were?"

The retort was not very kind, but that
greatest of nuisances, the heckler, deserves
anything, verbal or physical, which his con-
duct provokes. He is usually of a low
type of mentaUty. actuated by destructive
motives and encouraged by only the basest
elements in our political parties.

The speaker who answers a heckler
usually does so for one of two reasons.
First, he feels that his position as a cham-
pion of a party or candidate demands that
he answer all questions. Second, he hopes
to add to his prestige by outwitting an
opponent. As to the first, he is clearly
wrong. The majority of the audience is
more than friendly to the speaker. It has

Hints for the Political Speaker

assembled to hear him speak and not de*
bate with any self-appointed opponent.
Moreover, it has no interest in the heckler.
Its regard for him is usually one of eon-
tempt and impatience, "How much are
you getting for this speech?" asked a man
of W. Bourke Cockran, and the latter
snapped back, "How much are you getting
to interrupt me?" That retort might well
have been uttered by a member of the
audience.

The second reason for recognizing a
heckler, the desire to gain by the exchange
of wit, is too dangerous. Unless you are
a master of repartee, the chances are that
you will not so completely squelch your
man as to gain by it. Once engaged, you
must continue the give-and-take or you
will appear defeated. And even with an
even break, you lose — both in personal
prestige and by the digression from your

speech. ^ ^ ''^^

The better rule is to ignore all hecklers.

Hints for the Political Speaker

If he persists in his questioning, the au-
dience will dispose of him by physical force
if necessary. Then you havie lost nothing.
If, later in your speech, you can think of
a retort which fits into the trend of your
argument, put it in and direct it to the
heckler. You have then accomphshed
your purpose, with dignity and without
encouraging further interruption.

If, however, the question is such that
you can make a point by a quick reply,
do not pass up the opportunity. Fre-
quently a hostile audience or one which is
only half friendly may be won over by a
clever retort such as Roscoe Conkling
made in a speech in Utica, New York,
during the days when slavery was a burn-
ing issue.

"Mr. Conkling", piped a shrill voice
from the gallery, "do you believe that
a white man should marry a colored
woman?"

"Will the man who asked that question

Hints for the Political Speaker

please rise and repeat it?" answered Conk-
ling, There was nothing to do but com-
ply with the request. After a second's
visual appraisal, the speaker smilingly
replied,

"My little man, if the woman hasn't
any objection, I haven't."

SPEAKING OUTDOORS

Speaking in the open is both disagree-
able and difficult, but it offers one of the
best opportunities to the campaigner to
attain the prime aim — ^the conversion of
votes. It is difficult and disagreeable be-
cause of the counter attractions, the noise,
the fact that the audience is always chang-
ing, the prevalence of hecklers and the
strain on the voice. But you meet there
all types of political thii^kers and many of
them would never hear^your arguments
were you to confine your Activities to halls
and auditoriums.

You must accept the coilriter attractions
and the noise as you tolerate the petty an-
noyances of daily existence. You can
minimize the turn-over of your audience
by observing those virtues of gpeaking that
hold the attention. Tell many stories, but
no long ones. Make each argument brief
and right to the point. Never xelax into

Hints for the Political Speaker

a digression. Speak in Imiguage so simple
that the smallest child in the street can
miderstand you. Begin on neutral ground
and maintain an attitude of fairness to-
ward your opponents.

Here you must adopt different tactics
in dealing with the heckler. He probably
represents a larger portion of the audience
than the man who interrupts your speech
indoors. If you ctn squelch him by a
quick retort, do so. If you cannot, treat
him courteously. An attitude of fairness
toward him mighc strengthen an otherwise
weak position. You are not there, how-
ever, to hold a joint debate with every
comer. Never Answer more than one ques-
tion asked by any one man or from any
one part of tte audience. As soon as you
have replied to one interruption, turn to
another sector of the audience. The latter
practice tends to decrease interruptions and
to prevent $ny one portion of the audience
from moiK)polizing your attention to the

Hints for the Political Speaker

exclusion and dissatisfaction of the other.
Nothing will break up an outdoor audience
more quickly than a situation which con-
fines the attention of the speaker to one
smaU portion of it. If you are beset with
too many interruptions, say that you would
like to answer all questions as they arise,
but that in fairness to those who want to
hear you, it is requested that they with-
hold their questions until you have com-
pleted your speech, when you will be glad
to meet them all. This strikes the average
citizen as a fair proposition. It usually
solves the problem. And if it does not
silence the hecklers, it is more than likely
that the audience will. When you have
finished your speech, you will find few
to question you. And if there are any,
you can meet them aside and discuss the
question man to man, while your succes-
sor takes the stump. When speaking in
a neighborhood where heckling is com-
mon, many speakers scatter their co-

Hints for the Political Speaker

workers through the audience for the pur-
pose of engaging the heckler as soon as
he speaks.

The strain on the voice in outdoor
speaking is very well known by those
who have attempted it. It is due, not as
commonly supposed to the night air, but
to the necessity of making yourself heard
above the noise and without the aid of
the acoustic properties of a hall or auditor-
ium ; and also to the lack of knowledge as
to whether you are using your voice in a
proper manner. With walls to throw back
the sound, it is easy to detect the unnatural
tones which injure the muscles of the
throat. Outside, you must rely on the
opinion of those who hear you. Station
a friend at the outskirts of the circle. Let
him signal you as to the carrying power
of your voice and as to whether, in his
opinion, you are using unnatural tones.
It is the only method of conserving your
voice.

-% ^

MAKING YOUR CANDIDATE

POPULAR

c<-

'I have no politics, I vote for the best
man," is a common utterance among voters.
It represents a large part of our political
thinking. Many veterans of the political
game assert that if the issues in any cam-
paign could be wholly divorced from the
personalities who champion them, the nvmi-
ber of votes cast would be very small.
When we consider how few men and wom-
en take the trouble to vote on proposed
amendments to our state constitutions,
there seems to be little to say against the
theory that the electorate is much more
interested in the officials it chooses than
the policies for which they stand.

Many political speakers engage in a
campaign merely to aid the cause of some
local candidate for an administrative or
judicial office in which policies play no
part. For such a campaigner, the problem

Hints for the Political Speaker

of how to make his candidate the most
popular man in the field is the important
task.

The extensive use of such simple posters
as "Vote for Smith for Governor", "Keep
Judge Williams on the Bench", "Elect
Wirth Alderman", proves the value of
keeping a candidate's name before the pub-
lic. Grcneral praise of a man and his abil-
ities from the stmnp does the same thing.
But the electorate hears and sees so much
of that, is flooded by so much literature
and advertising, that it demands some-
thing more from the poHtical speaker.
Give them an intimate knowledge of the
candidate, show them a "close-up" of the
human man. One simple story of the'
man's life which brings out the character-
istics which the public desires in a public
official will accomplish more than hours of
flowery eulogy.

In the campaign of 1920, hardly a day
passed in which the dailies did not print on

Hints for the Political Speaker

the front sheet, some anecdote in the life
of Senator Harding and Governor Cox.
The cold, calculating voter may not be
interested in whether Senator Harding
was born in a log cabin or whether Gover-
nor Cox began life as a printer. But the
public generally enjoys reading these
\human-interest" stories about their next
President, and that is why the publication
of these news items was encouraged by
the supporters of the two candidates. They
serve to bring home to the American
voters the human sides of their candidates.
By reading these little stories, the public
becomes acquainted with the men apart
from their politics; and long before elec-
tion has come, they will speak of them
with an intimacy that would indicate a
life-long friendship.

Many men and women who never saw
Theodore Roosevelt speak of him and his
career as they would of a member of their
family. Nothing he did escaped the press,

Hints for the Political Speaker

and each fresh incident in his strenuous
life gave him a larger place in the hearts
of his countrymen.

Every candidate is human; each has
some feature of character or ability which,
made known, wiU win him greater con-
sideration in the minds of the voters. If
you would make your candidate popular,
study his life, his character and his accom-
plishments, and present the facts on the
stump with all the color and details that
truth and the occasion permit.

KEEPING ABREAST OF THE
BATTLE LINES

The lines of a political fight, like those
of a battle, are subject to constant change.
The issues remain the same, unless the
candidates add new ones, but the points
of contact are constantly shifting from one
phase of an issue to another.

The political speaker should keep
abreast of the lines, so that he can direct
his efforts where they are most needed
and meet the demands of the independent
voter that follows the campaign day to day.
Something more than daily reading of the
newspapers is necessary. The press, or
that small part of it which does not print
its feelings rather than the facts, tries to
hold up the mirror to the real situation.
But it frequently misinterprets the
thoughts of the electorate.

Two other checks should be added to
newspaper reading. First, keep in touch

Hints for the Political Speaker

with the local palitical organization in
charge of speakers. It can give you the
latest news from headquarters; it has
means of advising you on all new methods
of attack and defense. Second, attend
meetings held by the opposition. Unless
you know the arguments and tactics of
your opponents, how are you going to
make the most effective appeal to the man
who does?

KEEPING FIT

Daily campaigning means an intense
strain on your mental and physical powers
— strong men have been known to crack
under it. In order to make a strong fight
and to maintain its vigor up to the close
of the campaign, you must conserve what
energy you can and keep in the best phys-
ical condition.

The mental strain, particularly to the
candidate, is not easily relieved. The
man running for ofiice makes the fight
of his hfe, throwing aside every other in-
terest for the time. This concentration
of all one's mental energies can be carried
too far. When the mind is engaged on
one subject day in and day out to the
exclusion of all others, the brain is likely
to become "jumpy" and the judgment
warped. It was this very thing that
brought about the downfall of Senator La
FoUette's candidacy for the presidency in

Hints for the Political Speaker

1912. One bitter attack on the press, made
in a condition of nen'-ous exhaustion, scat-
tered a following that had been gathered in
months of campaigning. Roosevelt was
accustomed to carrying a small library on
his speaking tours. Parts of each day
were given to the study of subjects far
from the field of politics. Such a practice
is almost as beneficial to the mind as sleep.
While engaged in matters outside the cam-
paign, the mental muscles used in speak-
ing and political thinking have an oppor-
tunity to repair themselves ; then when we
return to the all important subject, we
can attack it with renewed vigor. Above
all, do not take your political problems to
bed with you. Thinking in bed means
worry and worry destroys everything it
touches.

The state of your physical condition is
usually reflected by the quality of your
thinking. An alert, combative mind is
rarely found in a sickly body. If you

Hints for the Political Speaker

would keep your mind fit, you must main-
tain a high standard of health.

You have probably learned as much
about your body and how to keep it fit
as any physician. It is well, nevertheless,
to call attention to a few points regarding
health. The stomach, of course, should
receive the first consideration. Only foods
easily digested should be eaten and eaten
slowly. Refrain from intense application
immediately after a meal. Smoking be-
fore eating tends to excite the nerves and
to impair appetite and digestion. Exces-
sive smoking is very harmful to the throat
and voice. Keep the bowels open. If you
feel nervAus or too energetic on retiring,
take a hot bath and drink a glass of warm
milk. A sleepless night in bed is as bad
as working all night.

Some men are blessed with strong voices
which can not only carry to all parts of
a huge auditorium but also stand continued
use without any noticeable tiring. But

Hints for the Political Speaker

with the average speaker preserving the
voice is always a problem. The trouble
lies not so much with any inherent weak-
ness in the vocal organs as with their im-
proper use. If the speaker would fill his
lungs from the bottom up, as a bottle is
filled, instead of throwing the air into the
apex of the lungs — if he allowed the throat
and jaw to relax and made the tongue
form the sounds — ^if he threw the voice
against the upper front teeth and thereby
made use of the nasal cavity as a sounding
board instead of forcing the sound with
the muscles of the throat, he would never
be troubled with loss of voice, even if he
spoke eight hours a day. But unless you
have already learned the proper use of
the voice, you are going to be too busy
to learn the art from the bottom up for
this campaign. The thing that interests
you now is how, assuming that you use
your voice incorrectly, you can make it
last throughout the campaign.

Hints for the Political Speaker

Much can be done by preventing slight
colds. When you rise in the morning,
exercise the muscles of your neck for two
or three minutes. Roll it around, bend
it in every possible direction — ^it won't
break. After your bath, dash cold water
on your neck and chest. This daily habit
win harden the muscles of your throat to
the point where it will stand the most in-
clement weather; it has cured many cases
of chronic sore throat.

You hare seen many advertisements set-
ting forth the wonderful powers of cer-
tain lozenges and throat sprays. Many
of them are accompanied by the pictures
and testimonials of opera singers and ac-
tors. If half of them are true, it is a
wonder how many of our stage celebrities
find time to do anything but try cures and
write testimonials. The late Dr. H. Hol-
brook Curtis, throat specialist, was con-
sulted by nearly all the concert singers in
New York as well as by prominent speak-

Hints for the Political Speaker

ers and among them Roosevelt. He usual-
ly prescribed voice exercises, the most com-
mon of which was humming the scale up
and down.

How many times have we envied the
speaker with the rich, resonant voice that
seemed to fill the room like a church or-'
gan. You can acquire some of that res-
onance if you will but make use of the
human sounding board, — ^the nasal cavity.
That undesirable tone of voice which we
call "speaking through the nose" is the
result of closing the air passage between
the back of the mouth and the nose. When
we open up this passage and use the sound-
ing board, the effect is similar to that of
talking in a rain barrel.

A great deal can be accomplished in
this direction by keeping open the air pas-
sages which connect the mouth, nose and
ears* Wax in the ears and dust in the
nose and nasal cavity rob the voice of the
bell-like ring just as rags in a cornet muf-

Hints for the Political Speaker

fle its tones. A little salt and water gently-
snuffed up in the morning and a weekly
application of warm water and soda to the
ears will be of great help to the voice.

Professor Robert J. Hughes, the voice
specialist, prescribes a very simple exer-
cise for encouraging the proper use of the
voice in speaking. A few seconds given
to it two or three times a day, immediately
before speaking if possible, will prove its
value. Take a deep breath and hum "min-
im*' continuously, prolonging the m's and
n's.

21754 X

THE WORK! OF THE SPEAKERS'

BUREAU

The effectiveness of a speaking cam-
paign in any locality rests to a considerable
extent with the committee in charge of
the speakers' bureau. Its duties are sim-
ilar to those of a sales manager, but rare-
ly does a political committee in this activity
attain the standard of efficiency maintained
by even a semi-successful business enter-
prise. As conducted, . most speakers' bur-
eaus are merely clearing houses for appli-
cants.

Some conductors of political gatherings
seem to work on the theory of managers
of vaudeville houses, — ^the more speakers
the merrier I One good speaker with a
well prepared speech is infinitely more ef-
fective than a dozen who merely say "I'm
glad to be here" and then run to the next
meeting. Of course, one of the main pur-
poses of a political gathering is to enable

101

Hints for the PoUtical Speaker

the electorate to see and hear the candi-
dates. But if the evening can be so ar-
ranged that those who merely appear as
exhibits will speak first so as to allow the
real campaigner to have the floor long
enough to make a real speech, the results
would be far greater.

More attention should be paid to the
development of new speakers. Every
district club has half a dozen men who
have the makings of effective campaigners.
If the county conmiittee would co-operate
Mdth all the local organizations in encour-
aging young men to train for the stump,
there would never be a dearth of speakers.
Every county or assembly district should
maintain a school for ambitious political
workers. It takes courage to make the
first poh'tical speech and many men of
promising capabilities are prevented from
developing into useful workers because of
the failure to provide a training camp
where they can find themselves and attain

102

Hints for the Political Speaker

that degree of self-confidence without
which they hesitate to take the first step.
One night a week for a period of four
months will accomplish much toward giv-
ing poise and necessary polish. That there
is no more fascinating activity than the
study of public speaking is evidenced by
the popularity of the Y. M. C. A. Course
in "Public Speaking", even among those
who have no intention of using the art
on a platform.

The dearth of speakers in a campaign
frequently results in sending out untried
and unknown volunteers to address noon-
day gatherings of men and women in sec-
tions of the community where the most en-
lightened portions of the electorate are
found. Such a practice is most dangerous ;
one crank, charged with only prejudices
and fallacies, can turn more votes from
his cause than a host of experienced
workers can convert to it.

108

Hints for the Political Speaker

Arranging the program for any given
meeting should receive the highest con-
sideration, not only in the selection of the
speakers but in the variety and assignment
of subjects. How many audiences are
wearied by a succession of speakers repeat-
ing the same arguments on liie same issues.

The most encouraging argument for
the future of political speaking in the
United States is the business-like attitude
with which our newly-enfranchised women
undertake their work in a campaign.
Whether because of inherent thoroughness
or because of the consciousness that to
them political speaking is a new art which
must be learned from the bottom up, many
organizations of women have gone about
the task of equipping their members for
the platform in a very scientific fashion.
They have formed schools for the training
of speakers ; they invite experienced cam-
paigners to address them on points of ap-

104

Hints for the Political Speaker

peal and their cross exaimna.tion of a vet-
eran convinces him of the intensity of their
ambition and determination to make their
speaking fruitftd.

105

•

QUESTIONNAIRE

This questionnaire is not designed as a
guide in building a speech, but merely as a
series of checks on the speech as prepared.

Subject.

1. Just what do you aim to accomplish
by this speech? Can you sununarize
your purpose in one compact sen-
tence?

2. Are you trying to cover too much
ground? Can you make your point
in the allotted time?

8. Are you sure that you are within the
issues of the. campaign? If not, are
you justified in digressing from
them?

4. Is your subject of vital interest to
the audience you will address? If
not, can you make them interested
in it?

107

Hints for the Political Speaker

6. Are you thoroughly famdliar with
every angle of your subject? Are
you prepared to discuss any phase of
it with any opponent?

Material.

1. Are you using real facts and argu-
ments? Are you relying too much
on your feelings?

2. Are you going to use figures or stat-
istics? If so, can you present them
in graphic and interesting fashion?

8. WiU any of your material antagonize
any portion of your audience?

4. Are you going to tell any stories or
anecdotes? If so, are they in point?
Will they serve your purpose?

5. Can you strengthen any argument by
quoting a well known man?

6. If you are going to mention a candi-
date by name, are you prepared to

108

Hints for the Political Speaker

give the audience an insight into his
human side? How much do you
know about him?

7. Is your material of especial interest
to \he locality in which you will
speak? How much local color have
you put into it? How much do you
know about the community?

8, Is your material selected merely
to draw applause from your adher-
ents? Will it give the wavering and
mdependent voter something to think
about? Will it give the audience
"something to take home?"

9. Can you make use of repetition and
suggestion?

10. How much do you know about the
people you will address? Will your
arguments be clear to everyone? Are
they as simple as you can make them?

109

Hints for the Political Speaker

11, Have you tested the effectiveness oi
your arguments in conversation?

12. Are your arguments in keeping with
the latest turn of the campaign?

Construction.

1. How are you going to begin? Will
your opening gain attention? Will
you begin on neutral ground so as
to avoid the possibility of antagon-
izing anyone? Have you prepared
several openings so as to be ready
for any situation which might con-
front you when you rise to speak?

2. Can you outline your entire speech?
Does the sequence of your ideas
strike you as logical and effective?

8, Is your speech constructed so as to
drive home the central idea? Are
you sure that it is not too heavy?
Can you not lighten it in spots by
humor or anecdote?

110

Hints for the Political Speaker

4. Are you prepared to close on a mo-
ment's notice? Have you prepared
an ending that will leave a single,
strong impression?

Delivery.

)

!• Have you memorized the speech or
merely the outline?

2. Are you physically fit for the oc-
casion? What are you doing to pre-
serve your voice?

8. Will you take the floor with con-
fidence and courage? Are you ready
to give the best that is in you?

\
f

111

(

iyj4

»■■'

5;. •. • ,,^•

•1;- «',

. ■ t

'. .11

Internet Archive Audio

Featured

Top

Images

Featured

Top

Software

Featured

Top

Texts

Featured

Top

Video

Featured

Top

Mobile Apps

Browser Extensions

Archive-It Subscription

Save Page Now

Full text of "Hints for the Political Speaker"

See other formats